UNIONS are upbeat a deal can be struck to safeguard more than 1,000 jobs at troubled shipbuilder Cammell Laird.

At a meeting between unions and receivers it emerged there had been more than 30 expressions of interest from potential buyers.

The receivers hope to announce a preferred bidder within the next three weeks and have guaranteed there will be no redundancies at the Birkenhead yard in the short term.

And there was good news for 260 apprentices whose jobs, at one stage, looked likely to be shed within a matter of days.

In a reply to a letter from a concerned apprentice, Education and Employment Secretary David Blunkett offered his personal assurance of the government's commitment to the investment made in the youngsters' skills.

Unions say they have also received a positive response after writing to UK ship builders asking if they would be prepared to take on the apprentices in the worst case scenario.

Ted Gilbertson, regional officer for the Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union (AEEU), said: 'Our message to the workforce is we know it is extremely difficult but the eyes of the world are on us and we need to try and ensure that contracts are still in the process of being completed and are completed as quickly as possible.

'We are trying to attract a pur chaser and people do feel despondent but all things being considered the workforce is working magnificently.'

He added: 'I think the apprenticeship situation is covered. David Blunkett has given fairly good reassurances about what he can do and the AEEU has written to major UK shipbuilding companies asking if they can help.

'We have already had some very positive responses.'

Dan Hodges of the General Municipal and Boilermakers Union (GMB), summed up the main points from Wednesday's meeting between unions and receivers Pricewaterhousecoopers.

'Out of that we received a commitment there would be no additional job losses in the short term,' he said.

'Secondly, they have had a large number of expressions of interest, more than 30, and they hope to announce within the next two to three weeks a preferred bidder for the company.

'So the no job losses commitment, as we understand it, is up until that point.'

He added: 'We will have to see what any restructuring package would involve.'

Mr Hodges said the fact that Trade and Industry Secretary Stephen Byers had asked the receivers to sell the company on as a 'going concern' indicated that the government would not see Cammell Laird go under.